Of Fire and Forgiveness
by WhooligAni
Summary: The Doctor suggests the TARDIS crew visit a very important memorial but instead lands them in the midst of a very important battle. Will our heroes and history survive?
1. Chapter 1

**Just a quick romp through some made up history with my favorite alien/married couple. I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>"Sorry, where are we going?" Rory asked, only slightly annoyed that Amy and the Doctor had decided on a place while he'd been fetching tea.<p>

"The Caraebon Memorial, one of the most amazing places in the Universe." The Doctor exclaimed as he enthusiastically worked the TARDIS controls.

"A Memorial?" Rory questioned. "Seems a bit dull."

"I thought so too but the Doctor says it's one of those must see places and has something to do with human history or something like that."

"What's it a memorial of?"

The Doctor paused momentarily to give Rory an exasperated look. "Caraebon, obviously."

"What's a Caraebon?" Rory asked.

"Who!" The Doctor yelled.

"What?" Rory asked.

"No, no, no! Rory, aren't you listening? Who. Cara Ebon, two words, is a who, not a what. Pay attention."

Rory rubbed his forehead and took a moment to sip his tea. He looked up to see Amy grinning conspiratorially at him.

"You know, don't you?" He accused. "You know and you're still making me deal with him."

Amy laughed. "Oh, don't be cross. You're just so adorable when you're confused."

"It's a very lucky thing she feels that way, Rory. Don't take it for granted." The Doctor called.

"Yeah, thanks." Rory called back but with a smirkish glare and the Doctor tipped an imaginary Fez at him in reply.

"So, what or rather who is Cara e-whatever."

Amy shrugged. "Not absolutely sure but she's some kind of human hero famous all over the universe."

"The hero of the Battle of the Iberian Fields." The Doctor clarified as he pulled a final lever and absently smoothed his jacket.

"So, she was a soldier?" Amy asked.

"What?" The Doctor seemed confused. "A soldier? Where'd you get that idea? Why would someone build a memorial to a soldier?"

"But you said she was a war hero." Rory countered.

"Did I?" The Doctor asked. "Why would I say that? It's ridiculous."

Rory's hand started to reach for his head again but he stopped it.

"Just…" He began. "What was Cara? What did she do? Why is she a hero?"

"Oh, that's very complicated. Best just let the memorial explain. It's a better experience that way, I think." The Doctor smiled.

Rory exchanged a glance with Amy who shrugged.

"Stop that." The Doctor said, "No married-people-non-verbal-communication and/or conspiring in the TARDIS. Rule number 279."

"279?" Amy asked.

"Yes," The Doctor puffed. "It's new. Congratulations, I had to make up a new rule because of you two. First time in… oh damn now I feel old. Quick, I need a distraction." He gestured for the door. "Shall we?"

Rory took Amy's hand. "Sounds like fun. I always loved history lessons in school."

The three friends stepped out the door…

…and into the midst of a battlefield. The planet was facing away from the sun but the field was still readily visible in the bright explosions taking place on the plane below them. Rocket-like missiles shot through the air and impacted on a shimmering dome that surrounded a besieged city. Rory had a very bad feeling about this.

"Well," The Doctor said. "This is certainly distracting, bit more that I was going for though."

"Doctor?" Amy asked, glancing around fearfully. "Where's the memorial?"

"Yes, hmmm. I think I might have got the timing a bit off."

"A bit?" Rory exclaimed.

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Amy growled.

"Right." Rory said. "Back in the TARDIS."

He turned on his heel, pulling at Amy's hand but before he could take more than that first step a missile shone so brightly through the night it couldn't be ignored. When it detonated in the midst of the massive army surrounding the city it produced a shimmering wave of energy that reverberated in all directions.

"Doctor?" Rory shouted as the wave rushed toward them.

"Run!" The Doctor shouted back and Rory didn't need to be told a second time. Gripping Amy's hand tighter he flew toward the TARDIS' still open door. He was barely two steps from safety when the world around him turned unbearably bright. Every nerve in his body lit with sudden fiery pain.

…

Rory's eyes didn't work. He couldn't seem to open them. He couldn't seem to move. Where was he? What had happened?

He remembered…what was it? He was on the TARDIS and they were going…the battle! There was a battle and he was falling and he remembered thinking he musn't let go Amy's hand. Amy! Why couldn't he open his eyes?

"Who are they?" A gruff male voice asked.

"I don't know, sir." A hard female voice answered. "They were found on the ridge. This one and this one are human. We're not sure exactly what this one is. Though he appears human his anatomy is slightly different."

"Slightly?" Gruff voice asked.

"Yes. He's got a digestive system that's very similar to human but he's got a dual cardio system and a significantly higher blood/brain saturation level."

"So, he's what? An A4 intelligence species?" Gruff voice queried.

"No, sir. If my readings are correct, he's an A7." The woman breathed.

"That's impossible." Gruff voice dismissed.

"Well, that's obviously not true." Said a familiar voice. "I'm right here, after all, aren't I? Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor."

"You're a doctor? Oh, thank goodness. Our doctor was killed in the initial onslaught. We can really use your help."

"Yes, most people usually can. First things first. My friends seem to be restrained."

"Oh, yes, of course." The woman said.

"Now, just a minute." Gruff voice huffed. "We've no idea who you are, sir. You could very well be one of our enemies."

"Oh, Mr. Poppin, he looks nothing like them and he very easily freed himself from his own restraints. I'm pretty certain he's only asking to be polite."

"She's very clever." The Doctor's voice beamed with approval. "I rather think I'm going to like you."

Rory felt a sort of release, as though he'd been holding his breath without knowing it.

"Amy?" He asked and opened his eyes.

"Here." Amy answered and his eyes found her. He rushed over to where she lay prone on what appeared to be an examining table. At least, he meant to rush to her but instead sort of flopped onto the floor in her general direction.

"Careful." The woman's voice said from his side as strong arms rolled him onto his back. "It'll take a moment for the effects to wear off."

"Rory?" Amy's voice was concerned.

"He's fine, dear." The woman said. "Now don't you go flopping about as well. Stay where you are and I'll bring him to you in a moment." Suddenly the woman's face came into view. The first thing that struck him was that she was very pale. This was probably accentuated by the fact that her hair was very, very dark, almost unnaturally so. She looked tired, very tired and Rory found himself almost instinctively feeling sorry for her.

"Alright," She said with a patient smile. "Let's try this again, shall we? One, two, three." She pulled up on him and Rory found that his muscles seemed to react normally. He regained his feet and stumbled unsteadily till he reached Amy, who was carefully sitting up.

"Are you alright?" He asked and found himself instinctively checking her pupils. "Close your eyes." He demanded.

"What?" Amy sounded a bit annoyed. "I've only just gotten used to being able to have them open again."

"Amy, please, just close them for a bit."

Amy sighed but did as he asked. Rory covered her eyes with his hand and then pointed her toward the brightest light in the room. "Okay, open them." After a minute he said, taking away his hand.

He watched as her enlarged pupils contracted properly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that all?" Amy said with a small smile.

"Yes, just wanted to make sure."

"You know, next time you could just ask for a beam." Said the dark haired woman holding up a tube that looked a bit like a pen light. "Are you a doctor, too?"

"No," Rory said. "I'm a nurse."

"That's me as well." The woman said, holding out her hand which Rory shook cordially. "Cara Ebon. Nice to meet you…?"

"Rory, Rory Williams. This is my wife, Amy." Rory indicated Amy who also shook the woman's hand but with a frown.

"I'm sorry. Did you say your name was Cara?"

"Yes, she did." The Doctor answered, his voice unusually subdued. "Cara Ebon."

Cara frowned at the Doctor. "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

"No." The Doctor replied. "And we really shouldn't have."

Rory looked from Amy to the Doctor and then back to the woman.

"Ah." He said. "Yes, well, this is typical."


	2. Chapter 2

"Well!" The Doctor exclaimed suddenly. "It's been very nice to meet you lovely people but we've got to be going. Rory, Amy let's go."

"What?" Mr. Poppin puffed but the Doctor was already heading for the door.

"You can't just leave, man. There's an army out there. Some kind of invasion force."

"Refugees." The Doctor corrected as he opened the door and started down the hall in long strides.

"Excuse me?" Asked Cara. "These things attacked us without provocation. We have no weapons, no real defenses and yet they killed hundreds before we managed to use the energy from the thermal conversion units to create a repulsion field."

"You did?" The Doctor stopped short. "I don't remember that bit. That's very clever. Who thought of that?"

"Ms. Ebon did." Mr. Poppin said.

"Huh." The Doctor looked impressed and suddenly very, very sad. "And no weapons you said so the explody wodey thing that I saw was?"

"Cara made it. She used one of our cyclic conversion mantles to create some kind of pyrrhic charge cloud. You're very lucky it had dissipated as much as it had before it hit you." His eyes glistened. "I don't know where we'd be if it weren't for her."

"Yes." The Doctor said. "I know the feeling which is why we really, really need to leave."

"Doctor, please!" Cara called. "Before you leave, please help me with the wounded. I'm only trained as a nurse and we have so many who are hurt."

"I am so, so sorry." The Doctor said and Rory could hear his genuine regret. "We simply cannot stay here."

"You don't understand." Mr. Poppin said. "That ship up there is shooting down any vessel that tries to escape. You can't leave even if you wanted to. Besides you don't have a ship."

"Don't need one. I have my box."

"Box?" Mr. Poppin asked.

"Yes, a blue one. Should be right where I left it." The Doctor replied absently.

As they walked the corridors Rory glanced into several of the open doors. Some had bandaged and bleeding people inside and Rory felt every instinct pulling him toward them, wanting to help.

"Mummy!" A young voice called from behind them.

Cara turned and was nearly knocked over by a small boy. "Mummy, Aria is worse. I was talking to her like you said but now I can't wake her up. Please, Mummy, you have to come quick!"

Cara's face paled even more, the dark circles under her eyes standing out. She looked at the Doctor with pleading, tearful eyes.

"Please, Doctor." She begged. "One of the wounded is my daughter, my six year old daughter. Please help her."

"Doctor." Amy breathed.

"I can't. We shouldn't be here this is a fixed point. This is probably one of the most important no fly zones in all of the universe. We * should not * be here."

"Mummy, now." The boy said, pulling on Cara's sleeve.

"Oh, damn you all." She snapped and ran off in the direction the boy had come. Rory didn't look at the Doctor or at Amy because he knew what he was doing was incredibly, incredibly stupid. He ran after her.

He arrived at the cot only moments after Cara did. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Yes, Rory." The Doctor yelled from the entrance to what looked like a trauma ward. "What are you doing?"

"I'm a nurse." He said, more to the Doctor than to Cara. "I can help."

He turned his back on the Doctor and focused on the little girl who looked nothing like her mother or brother. Her skin, for one thing was darker, much darker. … Rory gulped as he realized that the girl's skin wasn't dark, it was bruised. She was completely covered in bruises.

"What happened?" He asked trying to shake off his horror.

"Those things." Cara bit out. "They arrived out of nowhere. We tried to communicate with them but they didn't answer. Then suddenly they were landing on the surface and firing at the city. Several buildings collapsed or partially collapsed before I managed to repell the projectiles and the energy of the weapons. Thank goodness we had the flood walls to keep them back. One of the buildings that was hit was my daughter's school. Joren, fortunately was with me getting his annual exam."

Rory heard a sniff and looked down to see the boy; pale blond and blue eyed petting his sister's blackened hand gingerly.

The Doctor sighed deeply then pulled out his sonic screw driver and examined the pitifully small form.

Cara looked up, her eyes lit with hope for a brief moment until they met the doctor's.

"I'm so sorry." He sighed.

Rory reached forward and felt for a pulse. Her skin was still hot from the swelling but there was not even the faintest thrumming under his fingers.

"No." Cara said softly. "Do something."

"Mummy?" Joren's voice sounded scared.

"Please." Cara cried. "Please, do something. Please!"

"Mummy?" Joren ran around to his mother who clutched him tightly as she sobbed.

Rory looked up to the Doctor whose face was a mask of pain.

"I am so very, very sorry." He said, then he grabbed Rory's shoulder and pulled him roughly toward the exit.

He only released Rory when they had reached the hall and Rory was surprised at how angry the Doctor was.

"Don't ever, **EVER** do that again!" He yelled. "There are things, places, people that must not ever be tampered with and this, this is one of them. We cannot change what happens here. We may already have done irreparable damage. We have to go. Now!"

"You're not going anywhere." Cara said from somewhere over Rory's shoulder. He turned to see that she now stood in their way, holding something that had the unmistakable look of a weapon.

"Cara…" The Doctor began.

"No more talking, doctor." And she made the title an insult. "You are going to listen. You have a ship, a ship you obviously feel will go unnoticed by our attackers. You are going to take me to that ship, now."

"Cara, I can't…"

"My daughter is dead!" Cara screamed tearfully. "My daughter is dead. My husband is dead. Half the people in this city have been killed and the other half will die as well if I don't stop these monsters." She advanced threateningly. "You are going to help me put a stop to this or you are going to stay right here and die with the rest of us."

"I can't." The Doctor said.

"We'll see about that." Cara replied and gestured to a closed door. "In there."

Once they were inside what appeared to be a broom closet, she locked them in. "Those things are ferrying down more soldiers." She said through the door. "It's only a matter of time before they resume their attack. I can stop this but I need a way to get to their ship undetected. Doctor, we are a peaceful colony. I promise you we did nothing to provoke this attack and if you don't help me I promise you we will all die."

Rory looked through the dim light at the Doctor's pained but determined face.

"I'll let you think about it." Cara's muffled voice said through the door and then he heard her footsteps walking down the hall.

"O-kay." The Doctor said, jumping up and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Off we go." Unlocking the door.

"What's going on here?" Amy asked. "What's attacking them and why?"

"Melvaks." The Doctor replied, "A bit faster, Amy."

"Why are they attacking these people?" Amy continued.

"Because it's what they do." The Doctor sighed. "Least ways it's what they did do. They fought. They fought each other to the brink of extinction, destroyed their whole planet. That ship up there is it. That's all that's left of their entire race. They picked this planet out and have been traveling here for decades. There is no back up. No plan B. This is it. By the time they got here, humans had not only arrived in the meantime but started terra forming the planet and set up a little colony and the Melvaks decided to wipe them out."

"But why?" Rory asked. "Why not at least try to negotiate?"

"Because they're a violent society at this point in their history, Rory. Violent societies assume other societies will be just as violent as they are. Why do you think so many of the films about aliens in your time are about invading armies?"

"Wait," Amy said. "You just said 'at this point' but you also said their whole race is on that ship. So, that means…"

She stopped short as they had finally walked through a door that opened to the outside and Rory saw that Cara had been right. Small ships were ferrying back and forth from the huge structuring hanging like a menacing moon over the city.

The Doctor looked over the dark shadows that represented thousands, "Yes, Amy. The Melvaks win the Battle of the Iberian Fields."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what?" Amy asked as they, at last, approached the TARDIS. "These Melvaks, they wipe them out? All these people? And you're just going to let it happen?"

The Doctor winced. "I have to, Amy. It has happened. It's history. It's important history. Even if it weren't, that's an entire race up there. Who am I to choose to save a single colony of one of the most prolific species in the Universe at the expense of another entire species?"

Amy's eyes narrowed and she advanced on the Doctor. "So these people don't matter? That little girl didn't matter?"

The Doctor held up his hands placatingly. "Of course, they matter, Amy. Everyone matters. But there is more going on here, much more. The fate of most of the known Universe relies on everything happening just as it should here. Today, here on this little planet, may be one of the most important days in all recorded history."

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Yes, why, Time Lord?"

The three friends turned at the sound of the new voice to see Cara, armed, stepping from cover.

"How did you know?" The Doctor asked.

Cara shrugged, but remained tense and her voice held a deep bitterness. "A two hearted alien with an off the scale AN talking about timelines?"

The Doctor nodded solemnly and sighed, "Yes, you are clever, aren't you? Then you understand."

"No!" Cara screamed. "No, I don't understand! I don't care! I don't care if saving my son means someone somewhere else in a thousand years will die. I don't! I don't care if I have to wipe every last one of those disgusting creatures out. I will save my son and you will help me."

"I can't." The Doctor said as gently as he could.

"Yes, you can."

"You're right." The Doctor agreed. "I won't."

Cara's weapon shifted. It was now pointed at Amy.

"Yes, you will." She barked.

"No." Rory said, almost softly and placed himself between Amy and the weapon.

"Rory!" Amy cried.

"I already lost Melody." He said sternly. "I'm not losing you."

Cara hesitated.

"Are you curious, Cara?" The Doctor said. "Who they're talking about?"

"Doctor." Rory warned.

"She's their daughter." The Doctor continued ignoring him and walking casually toward Cara. "The lost little daughter of the boy and girl who waited. Rory and Amy have quite the romantic tale. She remembered him when every part of his existence had been wiped from the universe. He guarded her for 2,000 years. Look at them, Cara. Look at her face. Are you really going to take away the thing she loves best in the universe?"

Rory watched Cara's eyes focus on a point over his shoulder he knew must be Amy.

"You lost your daughter?" Cara asked and Rory felt the tears spring unbidden to his eyes at the flood of memories. Finding the impossibly beautiful little bundle. Amy's laughter in that blissful moment when they had seemed to be together, their little family. That last kiss before the battle and Amy's horrified screams.

He kept his features schooled but he couldn't prevent the tears. Cara's eyes found his.

"Yes." Amy's voice cracked. "When she was a baby. I'll never hold her in my arms again. I know that one day she'll be okay but I don't get to be her Mum and it kills me."

Cara cried silently for a moment and then finally lowered her weapon.

"Take my son." She said at last.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"I'll stay and die. We'll all die as your precious timeline demands but not my son. Joran goes with you."

"Can that work, Doctor?" Amy asked.

"I…" The Doctor was interrupted by the sudden sound of battle engaged. The vast army in the valley below bellowed with a deafening roar and advanced on the half ruined city.

"Please, Doctor." Cara pleaded.

"I can't." He murmured. "Oh Cara, I'm so very sorry but I can't. The risk is too great."

Just then Rory heard a strange but slightly familiar sound.

"NO!" Cara screamed. "No, they can't!"

Another impossibly bright missile shot from the city as it had done before.

"Into the TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted.

Rory turned as Amy grabbed his hand and pulled him with her to the reassuringly close blue doors. Cara followed closely behind them. She rushed forward into the control room and the Doctor slammed the door behind them.

"But I thought…" Rory began, puzzled that the Doctor had allowed the doomed woman on board.

"Don't think, Rory." The Doctor said sharply. "You're not equipped in this situation."

He pulled and pressed on the console until the large monitor was displaying the scene outside. The missile arched toward the massed army.

"I told them not to do it." Cara cried. "Why did they do it?"

As they watched the missile collided mid air with a rippling field. It seemed to hang for a moment before recoiling back into the city that had launched it. Cara screamed.

The missile hit the city and the same sparking energy enveloped it as had the field. However, the cloud or whatever it was didn't fan out as it had before. It seemed to be sucked back into place.

Cara made a noise like a choked sobbing groan that sent a shiver down Rory's spine just before the explosion rocked the entire valley. The impact shook the TARDIS and knocked the four passengers off their feet.

The Doctor shot back up and Amy and Rory followed a bit more unsure and bit more slowly but Cara stayed curled into a ball on the floor sobbing.

"What's going on Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Yes, that didn't happen last time." Rory pointed out.

"That's because last time the detonation didn't take place directly over a thermal generator. The city is powered using thermal energy but it's more than that. You humans have grown so very clever. This city is the first city. It's part of a global network of processors that are controlling the release of magma from the planet's mantle. Just something you lot figured out. Prevent earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, continental drift, etc. It's the very first thing human colonies do. In fact, regulations demand the system be in place for decades"

"I still don't understand." Rory admitted.

"The Melvaks just blew up the central control. This system is regulating the thermal venting of this planet and has been for years. If it goes offline, all of the thermal energy is going to try to shift back to its original vents. All those eruptions, earthquakes, etc are all about to happen in short order."

"But that's insane!" Amy yelled. "You can't have a system designed so that it'll blow up the whole planet if one little generator goes offline."

"It won't." Cara said and Rory turned. He'd almost forgotten about her. "Any one of the other outlets could be adjusted to compensate but they're unmanned. We were the first. We're the only ones online."

"So, if we go to one of these other generators we can fix this?" Rory asked.

Cara shrugged. "I suppose."

"Well," Amy said. "Where's the nearest one?"

"Why?" Cara asked, her eyes lifeless dark pools. "Why would I stop this? Everything and everyone I ever loved is dead because those things wanted this planet. Well, they can have it." She laughed mirthlessly. "A planet covered in a cloud of poisonous gas about to descend into an ice age. That's what they killed us for, a dead planet."

Rory turned back to the screen as another impossibly loud roar swept over them like a physical blow. An enormous grey mass was boiling out of what was left of the city and advancing impossibly quickly toward them.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Pyroclastic surge." The Doctor said sadly. "A massive avalanche of gas and volcanic debris over 300 degrees celsius and moving at over 150 kph. Anything it touches dies."

Rory watched horror struck as the cloudlike avalanche spilled over the massed army and filled the valley below.

The Doctor turned and knelt on the floor before Cara.

"Cara, you can stop this. You can save this planet."

"Why?" She whispered. "Tell me why I should save anything. Because of the future? So, those _things_ can have a future?"

"Because," He said. "It's the best thing to do. It's not the just thing to do. It's not even necessarily the right thing to do. It's not what any other species in the Universe would do but it is the human thing to do."

"And it's what you'd do, right?" Cara bit out. "You'd save those people up there if you were in my shoes because you're one of the great and mythical Time Lords, the greatest species in the Universe."

"No, Cara."

She frowned. "What?"

"I've been in your shoes, Cara. I stood in judgment of a species that had wiped out my people and I killed them all. I exterminated them. I showed no mercy. That's what a Time Lord would do. It's not fair but I'm asking you to be more. To love someone you should hate. To turn the other cheek. To treat your greatest enemy with respect and mercy. That is human, Cara. That is what makes the best of humanity greater than the best of any other species in the history of the Universe including my own. That is why, I, the last of my kind, am spending the rest of my life in the company of humans. Because you have the greatest capacity for true goodness of any other species I have ever seen."

Cara's head dropped.

"Can I see them?"

"Who?" The Doctor asked.

"These things, these…people who attacked us."

"Yes. Yes, you can."

"I've got something I want to say to them."

Rory saw a frown pass over the Doctor's face but he nodded, stood up and helped Cara to her feet.

The Doctor fiddled with his controls and the image of the destroyed city was replaced by the image of a group of very alien looking aliens.


	4. Chapter 4

"Will they understand me?" Cara asked, looking at the huddled and frightened looking creatures on the screen.

"Yes," The Doctor said softly, almost reverently. "Yes, it's the TARDIS. Everyone can understand you here."

Cara sniffed and nodded then pulled something from her pocket. From where Rory was standing it looked like a smooth metallic stone. She fiddled with it and an image appeared suspended over the hand that held the device. When the Doctor saw the image he gasped as though he'd seen a ghost.

The image was crisp and clear in three dimensions, not like those ghostly see through holograms you see in films. If Rory hadn't known any better he'd have sworn the four people in the image were about to move along about their business.

Rory recognized Cara and the little boy, the little boy he'd seen only hours ago. Joran, the little boy who was now dead. Joran took his looks from his Dad it seemed, who was as fair haired as his wife and daughter were dark. The girl was in her father's arms and staring up at him adoringly. The man was smiling at the camera as was little Joran. The Cara of the picture was looking at the three of them and laughing.

It was as near a perfect family photo as Rory had ever seen. Suddenly Amy's hand was in his and he turned to her. She was crying and he instinctively pulled her close, wanting to spare her but as he leaned his head over hers he watched his own tears spill onto her cherry curls.

"Can you hear me?" Cara asked.

"We hear you." A scratchy, metallic voice replied, though Rory couldn't distinguish any movement that might indicate speech.

"Do you know what's happening?" She asked. "To the planet? Do you understand?"

"We understand."

"Do you…" Cara gasped. "Do you know what you've done?"

She held up the image.

"This is my family. These are my children, my offspring. Do you have offspring?"

"We do." The eerily disembodied voice replied.

"Do you care for them? Do you love them?" Cara was sobbing now.

"We do." The voice was still scratchy and alien but Rory could hear emotion. At least, he thought he did.

"You killed my people." Cara hiccupped. "You killed my husband and my children. I have nothing left. You took everything from me."

The aliens said nothing.

"I can save you." Cara said. "I can stop what is happening and save this planet for you."

Rory heard the Doctor behind him suck in a breath and hold it.

"Tell me why." Cara demanded. "Give me a reason to save you. Why should I save you? Why do you deserve to live when you are guilty of taking everything from me?"

There was a long and pregnant pause. Then one of the aliens walked to the receiver and held up a bundle. Rory suddenly realized it was a child.

"Our children are innocent." A new voice said and the emotion, the pleading was unmistakable.

Cara was squinting at the image on the screen and Rory could not imagine what she was thinking.

"Our children," added the first voice they had heard "will be better than their sires. We will be better. We will earn your forgiveness. If we survive, we will live to be worthy."

Cara held up the image.

"Remember them." She said. "Remember what your survival cost."

The Doctor exhaled, startling both Rory and Amy.

Cara turned to him and pulled what seemed to be a schematic on the image projector. "Does your ship have transporter capabilities? Can it take me here?"

"No and yes!" The Doctor replied. "But…" He paused, uncharacteristically at a loss. "…that's inside the city."

"Yes, this outlet should have survived the initial blast." Cara confirmed.

"But it won't survive much longer." The Doctor pointed out.

"Timelines." Cara said. "This is where I would have been."

The Doctor looked close to tears. "You are so very clever, Cara Ebon."

Cara smiled sadly and shook his hand.

"What are they talking about?" Amy asked quietly.

"I'm not sure." Rory answered honestly.

"Alright!" The Doctor yelled, jumping around the TARDIS control panel. "Just a quick hop in space, not a problem aaaaaaand…there!"

He turned to look at the door and Cara followed his gaze.

"Good-bye, Amy, Rory" Cara called as she ran to the door. "I hope you find your daughter someday."

"Doctor? Where's she going?" Amy demanded.

Rory watched Cara open the door and inadvertently take a step back as a wave of air rippling with heat blasted through the door.

"Cara!" Rory yelled, and ran toward her but she was already through. She slammed the door shut behind her and the TARDIS was moving again.

When it had settled Rory reached for the door, then hesitated.

He turned back to the control room and to the Doctor who had his hands on the control panel and was leaning heavily forward on them.

"Doctor?" Rory asked. "Where are we?"

"Where we intended to be, Rory." The Doctor said quietly after only a moment's pause. For a moment when he looked up Rory could see every one of the Doctor's 900 plus years in the haunted expression on his face. Then the Doctor blinked and settled his mask back into place.

"The Cara Ebon Memorial." He announced grandly and grabbing Amy and Rory by the waist he led them to the door.

When they stepped out of the TARDIS Rory could see they were in the same valley but now it was filled with the most amazing thing he'd ever encountered, even taking into account everything he'd seen since traveling with the Doctor.

"The Malveks did this for Cara?" He asked staring in awe.

"No," The Doctor replied. "No, the universe did this for the Malveks."

The valley had been paved with a stone that reminded Rory of marble only there were no imperfections, no streaks of black or brown just pure, gleaming white. It was lined with buildings made of iridescent minerals and stones all of which were breathtakingly beautiful but the most amazing sight was the enormous statue that filled the center of the valley reaching so high it almost surpassed the height of the surrounding ridge. The statue was an exact replica of the image Cara had shown the Malveks.

"I don't understand." Rory said. "Is it a projection? A giant version of what Cara had? And why would the universe create an image of Cara and her family for the Malveks?"

"Yeah, Doctor." Amy added. "What's going on?"

"Well, I really would prefer you to find out from the memorial. The displays are fabulous." He looked at them and then added quickly, "But I can see you're more in the mood for brevity. Perfectly understandable given the circumstances."

"You see, when Cara saved the Malveks the Iberians had already wiped out most of their military. And on top of that the Malveks were properly impressed by her selfless act. They found her body later, you see. She stopped the cataclysmic shut down of the planet's thermal infrastructure but she couldn't survive the heat and fumes. Cara Ebon became the hero of the Malvek. She became their ideal. They devoted their lives to medicine because she was a nurse. They never retaliated against aggressors because she saved her enemies. In short, Cara Ebon was one of the best and brightest humanity has ever seen and an entire race tried to emulate her."

"Okay," Amy said. "I can see why the Malveks would build a memorial to her but why'd the universe build a memorial to them? How does that even work? How does 'the universe' build something?"

"That's jumping quite a bit. Let's see," The Doctor considered. "Centuries later, there was an intergalactic plague. It was devastating. No one had ever seen it before and no one has seen anything like it since. Many believe that it was engineered but that's never been confirmed. The point is, it very nearly wiped out the universe. Do you understand that? Whole planets were being wiped to the point of extinction. The Malveks had devoted their lives to the study of medicine. They selflessly treated the sick of every planet, friend or foe. They were the ones who developed a treatment for it but in the process they were driven past the point of extinction. The few that survived were not enough to revitalize their species and within three generations of the Universal Plague, the Malveks had ceased to exist."

Rory's throat felt dry.

"But!" The Doctor continued in that irrepressible way of his. "The universe survived and so the people of the universe asked those few Malvek survivors how they could honor their species. The survivors told the story of Cara Ebon and of the image of her family and asked the peoples of the Universe to do what they had done, basically, be nice to each other. Well, nobody wanted to do that obviously."

"Obviously." Amy said sourly.

"So, what they did instead is they made a grand gesture, which is almost, exactly nothing like actually doing something meaningful." The Doctor concluded a bit sourly but then seemed to cheer up a bit. "Still, it's very pretty isn't it?"

"What is it, exactly?" Rory asked.

"It's a statue, Rory." The Doctor said slowly as though talking to a simpleton. "Really, Rory I get tired of telling you these things, Pay Attention!"

Rory glared and the Doctor put up his hands and smiled.

"Only kidding. Only kidding." He said quickly. "It is a statue though. It's made from minerals from almost every planet and moon in the universe. It's amazing the different colors minerals form into depending on the conditions. The creatures of the universe recreated the image down to the last nuance and used materials from every corner of the known universe to try and show the magnitude of the Malveks sacrifice and its influence."

Amy snuggled in close to Rory and he held her tight.

"She knew." Amy said. "She knew she wouldn't survive."

"She didn't want to." The Doctor said softly.

"We could have saved her, couldn't we've?" Amy cried.

"No." Rory answered and the Doctor looked up. "It wouldn't have worked out the same if she had lived, would it?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"She knew." Rory said. "I don't know how she knew, but she knew."

"Well," The Doctor sighed, looking at the image of Cara frozen in that moment of joy with her family. "She was very clever."


End file.
